User blog:El Alamein/Isaac Darkstone vs. Finn Müller. Day Four: Hunger Games Tournament Redux
It's almost over. The thrilling Hunger Games that have seen so many die has now reached its two final contestants! Isaac Darkstone, the career tribute from District 1, who has brutally dispatched several of his fellow tributes, takes on Finn Müller, the serial killer and wandering merchant who crossed paths with and schemed against dangerous allies and survived! This final duel takes place on a rocky outcropping surrounded by water, to ensure that only one will be left standing as the contest comes to its bloody conclusion! It is up to you, dear voters, to decide the winner of this shocking engagement, and then the champion of the Wiki's first complete Hunger Games will be crowned! Isaac Darkstone The well-educated son of one of the richer families of District 1, Isaac Darkstone was the younger brother of Phillip Darkstone, an arrogant career who was one of the first deaths of his game. Angered at his brother's idiocy, Isaac began training both his body and mind in an attempt to prove himself as the strongest member of his family. When the time came for volunteers, Isaac stepped forward without hesitation. Weapons Equipment Backpack: Canteen, rations, medical kit, space blanket, and matches. Advantages High-Intellect: Isaac was one of the brightest children in the district, and he regularly taught himself topics that he felt would enable himself to do better at the games. Survivalist: Isaac is well-learned in the arts of survivalism. Stealth: Isaac has taught himself to be as stealthy and quiet as possible, knowing that it is very much life or death. Skilled Staff Fighter Disadvantages Arrogance: Isaac's training and intelligence has caused him to underestimate threats and challenges in the past, though he's smart enough to run when it comes down to it. Distrustful: Convinced that his brother's willingness to work with other people was a factor that got him killed, Isaac avoids others unless it's absolutely necessary. Finn Müller Being born and raised within the outer areas of districts, Finn was born during a small trip to the woods to two prominent parents. He was raised in luxury during the earlier years of his life intent on becoming something within the medical field as a means to help others. He learned Human anatomy and his parents paid for his curiosity in methods of self-defense. During this time he slowly developed a keener interest in applying his medical methods and training into a possible military career. His parents once more supported his idea until their demise in a fire. Discovering the fire was set by an begrudged servant who was fired months back for negligence and stealing from the family, Finn had a moment of rushed anger and killed the man in his moments of fury. Realizing that he would now be wanted for his crimes, Finn collected what little valuables he gained and lived on the streets. This is where he begin to take his lessons and apply them to killing, begging, and manipulation all in the pursuit of survival. Primarily these acts were committed in the slums of the city, where a few missing faces wouldn't leave any serious impression. This continued until around the age of 18 where Finn would pack up and decide to be a traveling merchant, but despite his attempts to leave another life, he still found himself with a desire to kill, but leaving himself with a code of ethics. He would only kill if he found himself in danger, other criminals and those he found to be lacking in Human nature or people he just began to feel a desire to kill, but preferring to study these before acting out on the feelings.. Often employing his intelligence, manipulation, Human anatomy and training all in perfecting his style over the years. As the years go by and he continues to travel around the lands and sell his wares. In recent years, Finn has begun to supress his urges with greater degree, but as the Hunger Games begin and he is chosen. The Wandering Merchant must begin to call upon his urges and ability to kill once more if he is to survive. And survive is what he desires. He fits more of a Dexter Morgan personality, less Jeff the Killer. Weapons Equipment Backpack: Water Tablets: Use to purify water as expected Sharpening Tools: When the vast majority of your tools are blades, sharpening and maintence are going to be needed. Fire Starters: He's already got the cloak to sleep in, but he's going to need a warm to keep himself having some light or to cook food Canteen: Used for easy access to maintain and save your water. Rations: About 2-3 days worth of food Rope: Perfect to climb trees, make some traps of if you want to get creative then used to strangle someone or create a noose Basic First Aid supplies: Bandage, disinfectant, painkillers, etc Advantages Expert Knowledge Of Human Anatomy: This involves pressure points, arteries, hamstrings, etc. When you're a serial killer you tend to need this knowledge in events to cut fast and effectively or to disable targets. In situations where he seeks to put an end to combat as soon as possible, he'll be aiming to disable the main dominant hand and a leg before going for a kill shot. Undying Charisma: This was meant more as a joke before in the chat Hunger Games, but it has made its way here. As a traveling merchant and killer, Finn has trained himself to be as persuasive as possible to convince others to listen to him, follow his orders, or just to lure them into a false sense of security and believing him. His charisma is one of his best traits as he manipulates others and pushes himself to survive. And if he can convince them to buy something, stranger, then its all good. Agile: Training himself to be agile to avoid detection by working on aspects of stealth and his main form of travel, Finn has excelled in aspects of agility and speed. He tends to out run pursuers and in combination with his environmental awareness will often blend the two together. It helps him with combat as well to circle around his opponents and aim for quick surgical strikes to wear them down before going in for the kill. It helps plenty with dodging as well in the heat of combat. Expert At Bladed Weapons: Seeing that they work best with a more quick and agile combat style and perfect for cutting nerves or aiming for weakness points of Human anatomy, Finn has taken a liking to bladed weapons. They are serve better to his combat style due to their ability to be concealed and lighting fast attacks in cramped combat situations or even those with enough room as they still serve as good weapons in almost all situations. He's been often training with these weapons and fighting styles during his years on the road and perfecting his skill during kills. Environmental Awareness: Needing to examine his surroundings and how to use them to his advantage as he incorporates them into his fighting style. Whether it be to escape, distract or even use a tree trunk as a defense or whip a branch into someone's face or push them into a sharp object aka tree branch or rock or off a cliff. He often uses this correlation to his attack style as a means to overwhelm targets which helps tremendously with improvising such as making small traps or quick sneak attacks. Along with that he's used to traveling on the road so he has knowledge of some plant life mixed in there that he can combine with his fighting style, but is no means an expert. Disadvantages Targets: Finn as expected in his trade is more used to attacking targets that lack the proper ability to fight back against him or threats that can be swiftly dealt with. So during the initial stages of combat he may find himself struggling against foes that can keep up with him and will likely have issues to keep up until he begins to adjust to the situation. Lone Wolf: Finn due to his background and ways of operation prevent him from making long term alliances. He'll snake his way into alliances where he can manipulate and use, but refuse to co-operate for extended periods due to his lack of trust in others. So, you won't be seeing him sticking around for long unless he can use you for his own GAINS! and supplies to fit his own ends. Average Strength Battle Dramatic music slowly made its presence known as the two final contestants stared at one another for a few moments, waiting for the other one to make the first move. The gamemakers took advantage of this pause to prepare their cameras and ready the triumphal victory music. This was the last confrontation. Only one person in the arena would live to see the end of this fourth day. The pounding surf rose to a crescendo as Finn Müller twitched. He whipped his cloak up with one arm, reaching down with his other and grabbing a throwing knife tucked into his belt. As the spider-silk garment fluttered down, Müller followed up with a fluid throw, the blade spinning right at Darkstone. The career tribute instinctively hit the ground, scrambling forward on all fours. He sprang upward in a tackle maneuver, wrapping his arms around the serial killer's waist and bringing him down hard to the wet rocks below. The waves danced in a synchronized ballet to the combatants' movements, dousing them with the cold, unforgiving spray of the artificial sea. Finn lashed out viciously, temporarily losing control in rage and fear, his knife bouncing repeatedly off of the ceramic plates under Darkstone's polymer clothing. The blade did manage to tear through the polymer fiber, but it was stopped short of actually injuring Isaac. Half-flinching before he realized he was unhurt, Darkstone recovered and quickly grabbed Finn's wrist. He jerked it to the side as he slammed it down, pinning it, but he only managed to twist it instead of successfullying breaking the bone. Finn responded by spitting into Isaac's face, making him flinch, before he unleashed a ferocious headbutt. White stars swirling across his vision like spiders trapped in sand, Darkstone stumbled back, clasping his hands over his face and massaging his temples in an effort to rub away the pain. Müller dashed past his stunned adversary, sprinting over to his opponent's arsenal as it lay strewn on the ground. He slipped once on the wet rocks, tumbling down hard and splitting open his chin, but this only served to spur him to action more quickly through anger and humiliation. Blood and dirt dripping off the bottom of his face, he kicked Darkstone's crossbow off the rocks and into the water before he grabbed the glaive and turned around. Darkstone had recovered and had his katar equipped, looking uncomfortably behind him as he tried to maintain his distance with what little space he had. Finn made a weak thrust that Isaac parried with his katar, grabbing the shaft of the polearm with his other hand and tugging at it, throwing his opponent off-balance. Finn spun on the spot, his cloak swirling up and into Darkstone's face right as he was about to follow up with a stab from the katar. With his back still turned to his enemy, the wandering merchant slammed an elbow hard into the career tribute's throat. He continued by twirling the glaive, its staff hitting Isaac and pushing him aside. Stumbling hard, Darkstone recovered and turned to run from the ever-advancing Müller but found himself at the edge of the rocky outcrop. And suddenly, the crashing waves receded, drawing back across a path to reveal a narrow corridor of newly-exposed rocks. Realizing he had little choice but to retreat, Isaac turned as Finn lunged forward. The blade on the glaive scraped across the ceramic plates of his armored suit, and as Müller recovered from the lunge, Darkstone ran. Instinct took over, his heart hammering in his chest, as he leaped over the broken rocks that made an ever-more treacherous path. The gamemakers were well-versed, pacing the water to stay just slightly ahead of the fleeing tribute. As Müller advanced on his opponent, it suddenly dawned on him that just as the water was withdrawing to make room for Darkstone, so too was it closing in behind him, forcing him forward. It was now less of a chase and more of a struggle to stay ahead as the two ran through a narrow corridor of sea spray and sharp, jutting rocks. Although they both reasoned that the gamemakers were certainly just scaring them, that they surely wouldn't allow the Games to end with an accidental death, neither was willing to test the resolve of their captors. Presently, the narrow path gave way to a towering spire that loomed sharply overhead. The whole chase had likely lasted not much more than ten seconds in its entirety, but both contestants were clearly quite spent and winded, cold and wet and panting, but still enraged and terrified enough to keep going. Scrambling up the makeshift cliffside on a footpath carefully laid out by the gamemakers, Darkstone reached the top a few seconds before his opponent did. They now had a few feet of space to share between them as they stood dozens of feet above churning waves and brutal rock. Müller had discarded the glaive along the way and had his katar equipped in one hand, a throwing knife clutched firmly in his other. Darkstone raised his own katar and the two paused before they clashed blades. Darkstone pressed his training to his advantage, utilizing unconventional slashes to keep Müller at bay and throw him off-guard. Finn tried to counter with a forward punching stab, but Darkstone deflected this by blocking it with the side of the katar's handle. Isaac took advantage of this to ride his momentum forward, using his free hand to grab at Müller's wrist again. This time his technique was successful. Putting Müller into a wristlock, Darkstone twisted the limb at the wrist, rotating it externally. The bones broke and the shoulder dislocated. Müller crumpled to his knees in agony, screaming and shaking his arm in an attempt to break free. Panicking, he slammed his katar into Darkstone's thigh, cutting through the fibers of the polymer and sliding the blade in between two of the ceramic plates. Blood spurted from the wound in his leg. Darkstone also fell. The career tribute rolled over, hunched and bent, his hand reaching down to his boots. Müller angrily scrambled over, kneeling over his downed opponent. He raised the katars up to finish him off, but Darkstone had managed to withdraw a small black egg from a hollowed-out comparment in the boot's heel. Sitting up, he threw the egg point-blank into Müller's eyes, showering them with broken glass. The tiny shards sliced across his corneas and clung tightly to the insides of his eyelids as he blinked involuntarily, reaching up to rub at his irritated eyes. Moaning in subdued pain, Müller simply knelt there, helpless. Isaac Darkstone stood quickly, putting his weight on his good leg, and tore open Finn Müller's backpack before grabbing the coil of rope inside. He looped the rope once around his opponent's neck, yanking hard and dragging him backward to the ground. Müller tried to reach up, but with a broken wrist and in a compromising position, there was little he could do but thrash in terror. Darkstone vented his frustration once with a harsh blow to the head, but continued to secure the rope. Once he had tied the knot securely, he reached down and tied the other end across Müller's wriggling feet at the ankles. Standing up, Isaac Darkstone realized that he had won. Finn Müller realized it too. The serial killer felt harsh hands on his shoulders, hauling him up to his feet, as he whipped his head back and forth, eyes still alive with agony. The music reached a deafening peak as Isaac Darkstone stood proud at the clifftop, a blood-soaked champion with his defeated victim in tow. Finn Müller, the wandering merchant who had tricked, stalked, and ultimately killed dozens of innocent people, had just been judged by the gamemakers, had just received his sentence from the silent jury of thousands watching the Games across Panem. And now he was delivered in the hands of his executioner. Isaac Darkstone's mind flashed back to the thought of his brother--a mixture of grief and anger, as he still recalled that fateful day when his arrogant sibling had died on the first day in the Bloodbath of his Games. His years of training; the hours spent hungry, tired, alone, and afraid in the arena; it all came down to this single point of validation. He had restored honor to his family name. He had avenged the death of his brother. But perhaps most importantly of all, he had survived the Games. With one final, remorseless kick to the back of the knees that sent Finn Müller crumpling down, Isaac Darkstone cast his sacrificial victim down to the rocks and water below. This offering appeased the gamemakers and the bloodthirsty audiences. He didn't even look to see whether it was the fall itself or the drowning that killed him; it didn't matter, anyway. The sky cleared with remarkable rapidity, and Isaac Darkstone actually squinted and blinked stupidly at the sunlight that came flooding down to greet his haggard face. He half-slumped, half-fell to the ground, sitting up and supporting himself with one hand in exhaustion. In this moment of victory, he wasn't even sure he felt the elation he had so vicariously felt watching the Games at home all those years before. But that didn't make any difference to the spectators at home. His name and exploits would go down in history. Isaac Darkstone of District 1 was the champion of the Hunger Games. Post-Battle Commentary Winner: Isaac Darkstone (BeastMan14) Deaths: Finn Müller Deaths in Order: *1) Percival S. Anderson (Wraith of Waffle) *2) Jacob Hansen (Weew1213) *3) Kouta Johnson (So-Pro Warrior) *4) Aaron Porter (BattleGames1) *5) Owen O'Haire (MilenHD) *6) Dan the Decapitator (Elgb333) *7) Mohammed Dean (ILoveBattles) *8) Bradley Jackson (Deathblade 100) *9) Francis Howard (Monkey Doctor 33) *10) Albert Amein (El Alamein) *11) DeJango Farchand (Weew1213) *12) Johann Nilson (Snigel) *13) Jessica Wilderson (Appelmonkey) *14) Isabella de Santa (Cfp3157) *15) Garrett McKinley (Wassboss) *16) Shiloh Zao (Leolab) *17) Finn Müller (WanderingSkull) Post-Tournament Commentary Okay, so let me just say that in spite of all the frustration I experienced hosting this mess, it was actually still a lot of fun. I'm glad that I finished this (so hopefully this can make up for World War Wikia) and I'm glad that, in spite of a few hiccups regarding battle format and rules and the like, it still went through all right. Now, while I did just admit that I enjoyed this experience, it doesn't mean that there weren't some disappointing parts. Firstly, I would like to express quite a bit of disappointment to everyone who signed up and then didn't vote even one single time (or else only one single time and then never again after that). I can now share in the pain and bewilderment of a certain other admin who went through the struggle of watching everyone make characters for a tournament and then never participate. It doesn't make sense. If you're not going to bother voting, then don't bother making a character to begin with. I feel like it's not a lot to expect of people to vote when they have their own goddamn character in the competition. In fact, I feel like that's the bare minimum that should be expected. You vote, I write the battle--that's basically par for the course when it comes to user transactions on this Wiki. ... *sigh* Okay. Well, either way, that doesn't matter any more, because this is now officially in the past. I just wanted to get that mini-rant off of my chest. There were quite a few enjoyable characters (shout-out to BG1 and OWLMAN, who managed to make one of the worst characters in the whole Hunger Games simultaneously one of the best, and who also inspired WS and BG to ruthlessly savage his character in chat and cause me to laugh like a weirdo during sociology class), so good job to everyone for that. I sincerely hope that I gave you guys some pretty interesting, brutal, and satisfying deaths in return (I'm sure that Jessica Wilderson and Isabella de Santa stand out in terms of the outlandish agony they experienced). I have learned my lesson. I am going to take a nice, long break from user tournaments. (Although I can't truthfully say that I'd never do one again. Just not for a while.) In the next few days I will probably unleash my fifth season. (What the hell? Five seasons already?) So, I guess, stay tuned for that. We'll see some cool fights from history, video games, movies, TV shows, and mythoogy, among other sources. Thanks for reading this, guys, and thanks for making this Hunger Games a fun and bloody experience! Category:Blog posts